Initiation
by Lora Kael
Summary: Sequel to Proving Ground. Crowley, Halt, Egon and Norrington ride together to finally get Norrington a proper Ranger horse; after all, one cannot be a real Ranger without one. And all the while they continue teaching him and show what being a Ranger is about.
1. Chapter 1

AN: This is a sequel to Proving Ground, so do read that one first.

Sorry for the late posting: I was on vacation with my family and the internet didn't want to cooperate.

* * *

There was a mild chill in the morning air as the four Rangers cantered easily down the road. Three of them were highly skilled and even the young ones had a good deal of experience already, but the fourth member of the group was not quite a Ranger yet though he wore the uniform of one. And he kept glancing at the other three hoping to gleam something new from them even though they were just riding down the road seemingly relaxed.

He twisted around again to scan their surroundings.

"Stop fretting, Norrington. You'd think you were scared of brigands the way you move around." Halt sounded as gruff as usual, but not too annoyed.

"Just keeping mindful of my surroundings. I think that's in the Ranger handbook somewhere," Norrington replied with a little smile. In truth he wasn't scared in the least; he might not have the skills of the other three, but he knew any of them could take on a couple of brigands without trouble and no trouble makers would be foolish enough to attack four Rangers anyway.

"I wouldn't mind a few brigands attacking us," Crowley said. "It would break the monotony of this boring road."

Egon snorted. "And we'd waste time chasing them then. Better to get to our destination without distraction."

"Well, you're no fun," Crowley commented. He turned his head to look at Norrington. "And we don't keep a handbook; it would be too easy for someone to steal. Better to keep it all in here," he said taping his head with a finger.

"Agreed," Halt said.

"All right, so it's in the imaginary Ranger's handbook then," Norrington replied.

"Yeah, but Halt is also right; you're not supposed to twist and turn, you're supposed to use your eyes and ears and trust in your various senses."

"I _was_ using my eyes."

Halt snorted. "You were using more than that; you were using your whole upper body. Keep your body and head still, move only your eyes."

Norrington eyed him. "And if I need to take a look behind me?"

"Then you casually turn to adjust or grab something from behind you without showing any sign that your attention is anywhere, but on your equipment," Crowley answered forcing Norrington to twist around to look at him instead.

"Still too much twisting," Halt grumbled.

"Well, you're not making it easy for me," Norrington said, turning back to look ahead.

Egon laughed. "It's not supposed to be easy; you're a Ranger and there's nothing easy about being that."

The other two nodded.

Crowley smiled slightly. "You'll get the hang of it, Norrington. You just have some bad habits you need to break from the time when you didn't have proper instruction."

Norrington sighed. "I know."

"Good. Then do as Halt said and keep still and look relaxed even as you stay vigilant."

This time Norrington didn't sigh, but kept his attention straight ahead, his eyes frequently moving from side to side, taking in the Rangers around him. The road was wide here, so they rode three abreast with Egon just behind. Egon could have ridden next to them, too, but the Rangers preferred not to get in each other's way should something happen. Nobody might be stupid enough to attack a band of Rangers, but that didn't mean the Rangers let down their guard; they were always prepared, just in case. It was another little lesson in being a Ranger and Norrington sucked them up like a sponge. Another lesson he had learned fast was not to pester the others with questions all the time. Especially Halt. So Norrington had instead tried to get more information about this special Ranger horse farm they were going to, but neither Crowley nor Egon had been of a mind to share a whole lot of information. He had finally tried to ask Halt about their tight-lipped manner, but he had just said it had been the same for him, so Norrington had accepted he wouldn't find out until he got there. But he was still curious, and his mind kept wondering.

"You're too uptight," Halt commented an hour later.

"Try relaxing a bit more," Crowley added in. Norrington did, slumping his shoulder just a fraction.

"Better," Halt grumbled.

Norrington smiled to himself. Getting any kind of praise from Halt was difficult, so he cherished it when it did come.

"Halt, ride up ahead, will you, and see if there's a good spot to let the horses rest and graze while we get some lunch," Crowley said without turning.

Halt didn't reply, but just pressed his feet to Abelard's sides to signal a change in pace. Abelard shot off and soon left the others behind. There was a bend in the road, and he was gone from their sight. Part of Norrington wanted to comment on the speed with which Halt's horse had galloped away, but another part knew this was what the Rangers expected of their horses. It only made him even more curious to see the place the Ranger horses were trained and excited about getting one. The Ranger horses didn't look like much, but they certainly had speed.

Halt came back about half an hour later, riding full tilt at them, then reeling in and turning Abelard around just a few meters before they would all have crashed into each other and easily going back into the canter the others had maintained while he was gone.

"Well?" Crowley asked.

"There's a nice clearing up ahead with a nearby stream. At the current pace we should reach it in about twenty minutes."

Norrington marvelled at Halt's skills; he had no idea how he could tell how long it would take going there when cantering when Halt had gone both ways at full gallop. It was yet another skill he had still to learn. He had started to write down notes regarding what questions he needed to ask the others, just so he didn't forget them, and now added this one to his growing pile.

"Out with it," Halt said, noticing the notebook.

Norrington hesitated a moment, but then decided it was better to just ask now since Halt had already invited the question.

"I was just wondering how you know how long it will take us to go there? You were riding at full gallop."

Halt shrugged. "It's just a matter of learning to tell distances at any speed and knowing the pace the horses ride in when cantering. It comes with practice."

"Practice, practice and practice," Crowley agreed. "One of Pritchard's favourite sayings." He looked a bit sad thinking of his old mentor, and Halt felt silent. Neither had forgotten what Morgarath had done and both had sworn that Morgarath would pay for it.

"Yeah... And he was right," Halt finally said.

"That he was," Egon agreed. "Definitely one of the best Rangers I've had the pleasure of knowing and serving with over the years. And his apprentices carry on his legacy."

Crowley perked up hearing the praise from Egon; it was nice being reminded that others remembered Pritchard with respect, too, and that he and Halt had made him proud and continued to do so. "Thanks, Egon. Your words mean a lot."

Halt nodded, not trusting himself to speak yet. Egon's words had left a lump in his throat; he knew Pritchard had been a great Ranger in the corps, but he had only known him during his exile when he had been his teacher and mentor. Finally he felt he could speak without risking choking on the words. "We do our best," was all he said.

Norrington looked from one Ranger to the other. He hadn't really known Pritchard before he had left, or rather had been kicked out, but it was clear the rest of them did. And it was occurring to him that Crowley and Halt had both had a special relationship with him.

He took a deep breath before asking his question. "You knew him well? All of you?"

Egon shrugged. "As well as most other older Rangers, but not as well as Crowley and Halt."

"He was our mentor," Crowley said, confirming Norrington's suspicions. "And he was the greatest Ranger I've ever known."

Halt nodded. "That he was. And one day Morgarath will pay for what he did."

Crowley and Egon both nodded, Crowley's face clouding at the thought.

"He was the one, who got him kicked out of the corps, right?" Norrington asked.

"Worse," Halt said. "He was the one who killed him." His brows drew together in an angry frown. "I won't forget that."

"None of us will," Crowley chimed in. "Morgarath can't hide forever and sooner or later he'll have to face us again."

"Or just the sharp end of my arrow," Halt said darkly.

Crowley nodded grimly.

Norrington looked from one Ranger to the other and realised he was very glad he wasn't the one such fury was being directed at. Those two could be downright scary when they wanted to.

"You're twisting too much again," came the dry remark from Halt.

Norrington almost twisted back to look at him, but stopped himself at the last moment and faced forward once more. He could almost feel the eyes of the others on him, so he focused on his breathing and on keeping his gaze forward. He was really, really glad they were on his side.

§

It was well into the afternoon when Norrington noticed the fields with grazing horses. The horses were of different colours and height, but all of them looked solid and had a shaggy coat. Ranger horses, he thought to himself. That meant they must be close.

"You're twisting again," came Halt's dry voice. "Look without twisting."

Norrington could hear an undertone of exasperation and immediately concentrated on not moving his head. Halt didn't like having to repeat himself.

"But don't get too stiff," Crowley advised. "Move naturally. Just don't let us know what direction you're looking by moving your head."

Norrington sighed. It had pretty much been like this the whole trip and he found it hard to keep up with their expectations.

Up ahead a farm house came into view as the road turned a bit and the trees thinned out.

"Come on," Crowley said. "Let's go up and say hello to Young Bob." He and Halt overtook Norrington, taking the lead. Egon rode up next to Norrington.

"Don't worry about it; they know that no one can really keep it up constantly."

Norrington glanced at the older Ranger. "Then why do they keep correcting me?"

"Because you have some bad habits to break," he replied. "And to break them you need frequent reminders to stay mindful of your manner. Better you get them now, than still have a bunch of bad habits when you get to your own fief." He reached out and patted Norrington lightly on the shoulder then sped up his own horse to follow Halt and Crowley the last leg to the farm. Norrington followed suit.

A rather bowlegged man came out to greet them, a big smile on his face as he waved hello to the Rangers.

"Crowley, Halt, Egon! So good to see you again! And you've brought a new one along as well. Excellent! He'll be needing a proper horse if he's to be a Ranger," Bob said cackling.

Norrington cast a glance at the others. He wasn't sure what he had expected of the Rangers' horse trainer, but this wasn't it. Yes, the bowlegs made sense from a life spent in the saddle, but the demeanour was a surprise. The others, however, did not seem the least surprised and so Norrington guessed Bob was probably always like this.

"And what do they call you?" Young Bob asked, as Norrington dismounted.

"I'm Norrington. Pleased to meet you," he replied.

"Pleased to meet me! Well, you certainly have manners. That's good," Bob cackled. "Come on, let's get the horses settled, then we can see what we can find for you." Bob rubbed his hands together excited; he could get used to having Rangers coming past a little more often again.

He turned away to address Crowley and Cropper and Norrington breathed a silent thanks when there was a bit of distance between him and Bob; he smelled strongly of horse and horse dung, which was not the most pleasant of smells.

"Looks like Cropper here is doing well."

"He is," Crowley confirmed with a smile.

"And how's Abelard, Halt?"

"Perfect," was Halt's short reply.

Young Bob grinned. "'Perfect.' Well, yes, of course; he's a Ranger horse, trained by me. Good to see you're taking good care of him."

"I wouldn't dare anything else, least you come after me," Halt replied, completely deadpan.

That set all of them laughing, and Norrington couldn't help smiling, too. Halt definitely had a sense of humour, it just didn't show often. Or maybe the rest of them just didn't understand it.

They quickly got the horses unsaddled and rubbed down, then Bob settled them in the stable and offered the Rangers to come in for a cup of coffee before they took a look at the horses.

"So," Young Bob said rubbing his hands together. "Come for a proper Ranger horse, have you?"

Norrington shrugged. "I'm just doing what Crowley says. And he said I couldn't be a Ranger without a Ranger horse."

Bob cackled. "Damn right, you can't. You won't find a finer horse in Araluen than the horses I've got here. Oh, don't look so sceptical," he said when Norrington didn't look completely convinced. "They may look shaggy, but they're sturdy, fast, and, most important of all, got great stamina. You need that in a Ranger horse. Don't want your horse to tire out while you're in pursuit of someone. Or worse; while you're running from enemies."

"I suppose not," Norrington replied.

"He suppose not! Well, we'll see what you have to say once you get a better look at them."

Crowley and Egon smiled behind their coffee cups. Young Bob could be quite a handful and he had his own initiation of new Rangers such as testing them when it came to the horses. Halt was also hiding a small smile knowing what was to come.

"Bob, stop messing around with the guests!" Bobby, Young Bob's wife, said from the doorway. The twins poked their heads in around her and lit up in identical smiles.

"It's the Rangers! Hey, can we watch?"

"No," came the answer from both their parents. Their mother added: "Get those baskets into the kitchen."

"Need any help, Misses Saddler?" Crowley asked politely.

She shook her head. "No, thank you, Ranger. The Bobbities and I can handle it." She walked over and gently touched Young Bob on the cheek. "You handle the horses, I'll get the fruit stacked."

Bob rubbed his hands together. "Well, you heard her; let's go find a horse for you," he said to Norrington. Norrington nodded as they all rose from the table and walked outdoor again.

"You're in luck; I've got three fine horses all ready for a rider, so I'm sure one of them will suit you."

"That sounds nice," Norrington replied politely. In truth he was getting rather excited; he had looked at the Ranger horses a lot and knew they were special, but he had never gotten the change to find out just what made them so special, not until now. So the thought of getting his own Ranger horse definitely appealed to him. He saw the other Rangers smiling, too, and was glad they took part in his excitement.

Bob lead them into the stable, a building much larger than his house, and beckoned Norrington forward. The others held back as he went with Bob to inspect the horses. Norrington looked back over his shoulder at them.

"Oh, don't worry," Bob said. "They just know that meeting your horse for the first time is a special occasion, so they won't interfere. Choosing is a matter between the rider and the horse."

Norrington nodded. He wasn't sure he quite understood the significance the Rangers put on going here and getting a horse, but it was having an effect on him. Somehow it felt special, almost holy, like a life or death decision. It's just a horse, he reminded himself. Nothing special about this, except it's been trained to work with Rangers. He took a deep breath as Bob beckoned him towards the three stabled horses to take a closer look.

"All right, here they are. Take as long as you want, but remember to choose with your heart."

"My heart?"

"Of course. Your horse will be your partner; it has to feel right," Bob said as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Then he took a step back and let Norrington step up to the horses alone.

Norrington walked up to the first horse, a dark brown stallion with black hair, and took a good look at it. It looked at him curiously and inquisitively as he looked the horse over. He quickly saw that Bob took good care of the horses and that it was a very sturdy horse.

The next one was cream coloured with caramel hair and a real beauty, even with the shaggy fur and barrel body, and Norrington stared to see what made the Rangers love their little horses so much. These horses were solid and built for hard work and long rides. Where his own current horse that become tired and needed the rest during the trip here, the other Rangers' horses hadn't seemed to mind the long ride. This one gave him the same inquisitive look as the first, and he thought the horse looked rather intelligent.

Then he looked at the last horse. It had a red-brown coat with brown hair and was as beautiful as the cream one. It turned its eyes on him and for a moment Norrington forgot to look at the rest of the horse; it felt like the horse knew why he was here and that it, no _she_, had just been waiting for him.

He reached out a hand and let it run over the mare's nuzzle. She responded by stretching her neck towards him and let go of a hot breath through her nostrils that warmed his hand. By the stars, she was beautiful.

Then Norrington hesitated. He hadn't even taken a proper look at the horse and there were two other fine horses here as well; he shouldn't be hasty in his choice. He turned his head to look back at the creamy one, but the horse in front of him snorted and blew hot air on his hand as if to say _what do you think you're doing? Eyes front, boy._

Norrington looked back at the mare. Bob had said to choose with his heart and this mare just felt right.

"This one," he called back to Bob. "She feels right."

Bob nodded as if he had expected that result and went forward, rubbing his hands together excitedly. "Excellent choice! Maple is a real beauty and she's got plenty of fire in her for the tough situations."

Norrington thought she looked too calm and docile to have much fire, but he thought better than to argue the matter with the horse handler. After all, he knew the horse better than Norrington, so he just nodded.

Bob cackled as he came over with saddle and grime. "Oh, I can see the doubt in your eyes; you think her docile, but you'll soon see that she's got it where it counts."

Norrington stepped to the side to let Bob saddle Maple and saw he had brought his own saddle. Suddenly Norrington wondered what was to happen to his own horse; he had had him since he was a teen, but he doubted he could have two horses with him as a Ranger, not unless he wanted a permanent pack horse, and it just didn't feel right to do that to Arrow. He was too proud a race horse to be turned into a mere pack animal.

He glanced back towards Crowley and the others, who had come forward once Norrington made his choice.

"Um, what about Arrow? My current horse?" he added, not sure the others knew his name.

Before anyone else could reply, Bob chirped up. "Arrow? Fitting name; he looks like he's got a lot of speed in him."

Norrington nodded. "He does. It's why I choose him back then."

Bob nodded many times. "He's not a gelding?"

Norrington shook his head. "No. I had thought I might breed him someday, so..."

"Good choice. We could certainly use him in our breeding programme, so I'd be happy to have him."

Norrington felt relieved. Bob would take good care of Arrow and he wouldn't be abandoning him. Instead it felt more like they were trading horses, Maple for Arrow.

Bob lead Maple out of the stable, Norrington and the others drifting in their wake, and he lead Maple into an enclosure right next to the house. Norrington walked into the enclosure with them, but the others stopped at the fence, leaning slightly on it.

Bob handed the reins to Norrington. "Time to get to know each other properly. Any questions?" He had a gleam in his eyes as he said it, but Norrington just shook his head. He couldn't think of any questions that were important right now.

"No. I do think I know the basics of riding a horse," he replied with a slight smile. He cast a look at the other Rangers, all of who was smiling slightly, too, and then turned fully towards Maple, who looked at him as he put his foot in the stirrup and quickly swung himself into the saddle. He had just a moment where everything was still and perfect, then hell broke lose.

Maple bucked and kicked and reared, and Norrington had to hold on as she twisted this way and that. She started rearing again and he leaned forward to prevent himself from gliding off, but then she changed direction suddenly, bowing her head and kicking high. Norrington realised she had done it on purpose just as he felt himself being propelled forward and he yelled as he was thrown off her back. He somehow managed to turn the fall into a roll, but he still ended up winded and sore from the contact with the ground.

Then he heard the others laughing and clapping.

"Well done, Norrington! That was quite a spectacular fall!" Crowley cheered.

Norrington cursed and glared at him as he got back up on his feet, dusting himself off. Maple looked at him curiously, completely calm again.

"You knew that would happen!" he said pointing a finger at him.

"Of course," Crowley replied easily.

"You all knew," Norrington continued, narrowing his eyes at them. He hadn't given it any thought at the time, but even Halt had been smiling before he mounted and that should have given him pause; Halt almost never smiled.

"We sure did," Egon confirmed.

"It was inevitable," Halt said.

"So what's the point of having a horse you can't ride, if it's just going to be throwing me off?"

"The point is that you now know that a Ranger horse can't be stolen; if someone try they'll be sent flying." Crowley was still smiling, but his tone was serious. "And that is something very valuable to us."

Norrington rubbed a sore spot on his arm. "Yeah, well, I can't seem to ride her either."

"Of course not," Bob pipped up. "You have to be accepted first."

Norrington turned his glare on Bob, who didn't seem affected by it in the slightest. "And how do I do that?"

"Ah! Finally he asks the right question! You say her code phrase, of course. It's 'sweet as honey', by the way."

"Sweet as honey?"

"Don't say it to us, say it to the horse!" the others chorused.

Norrington gave the others another long, hard look, not sure whether they were pulling his leg or not, before he turned back to Maple, who had walked up to him and looked at him expectantly again.

He took the reins and looked her in the eye. "I hope they aren't lying. 'Sweet as honey'," he said softly to her. She looked at him for a moment then moved her head up and down once as if to say 'okay, go ahead'. "You'd better not throw me off again, Maple," Norrington muttered as he placed his foot in the stirrup again.

_Why would I do that, silly?_ she seemed to say as she shook her mane.

Norrington paused. He had the feeling Maple was talking to him, but of course, that was just a fanciful notion; horses didn't talk. Maybe the fall or the air here was getting to him.

He tensed slightly, unable to resist and half expecting another wild throw, but Maple stood rock still and waited for his command.

"Well? What you are waiting for? Take a ride around the pen," Bob called.

Norrington realised he had been staring at his horse's neck as he looked back at Bob and the other three Rangers, and finally let go of a pent up breath. Then he shifted his weight and Maple immediately set off in a light trot.

Norrington had never ridden a Ranger horse before and now he was marvelling at how quickly she responded to shifts in pressure or tugs on the reins. He barely had to think about what he wanted before Maple did it.

He leaned forward a little and Maple sped up. Back at the gate Bob had grabbed the rope and was opening up the pen for them.

"Take her out and see what she can really do," he called to Norrington.

Norrington didn't have to be told that twice and didn't waste any time; he and Maple almost flew out of the pen as they sped up again and they rode into the sparsely wooded area. A grin spread across his face as the wind whipped his hair and cloak back and he wondered just how fast she could go. With that thought he leaned forward further and whispered into her ear: "Want to show me just how fast you are?"

She whinnied and shot off like an arrow from a bow. For a moment Norrington felt like his stomach had been left behind and needed a moment to catch up to them again. Then he laughed with exhilaration. Lords, she was even faster than he had thought possible! Even Arrow, his old horse, which had been chosen for his speed, wasn't this fast. Maple was sure-footed and served around trees and tree stumps without slowing down. At one point she even jumped over a stream showing no hesitation or fear.

Norrington let her round in a large circle around the farm and surrounding countryside before he galloped right back to the others and stopped a few meters in front of them, a huge grin on his face.

"I think he likes his new horse," Crowley said.

"Looks like it," Egon agreed.

"She's amazing!" Norrington exclaimed. "I had no idea Ranger horses were _this_ great!"

Halt nodded. "That's how we all felt when we got our introduction to these beauties."

"You still could have told me about the code phrase," Norrington said, pouting a little.

But the others shook their heads.

"Sorry, but it's part of the initiation to become a Ranger," Crowley said.

"You have to ask yourself to be told," Egon added.

"Trust me; this happens to everyone," Halt said.

"Really?" Norrington said raising an eyebrow.

"Really," Halt and Crowley both confirmed.

"Absolutely," Egon said nodding. "Just ask Bob; he will confirm it."

Bob cackled and flashed Norrington a wide grin. "It's true; all young Rangers go through that."

"Oh," Norrington said a bit surprised. Somehow it made him feel better knowing even Crowley and Halt had also been thrown off their horses the first time. "All right, but don't expect me to forgive you just yet, anyway," he said to Crowley, Halt, and Egon. They just grinned.

"Now come down from your horse and I'll teach you some of the commands we use to tell our horses what we want them to do," Bob said.

Norrington did as told, but then hesitated a bit as he looked at Bob. "Will I need to say that phrase every time I need to ride somewhere? Because that sounds impractical."

But Bob shook his head. "Oh no. Just the first time. After that she will remember you and know you have permission to ride her. The phrase is just to prevent others from stealing your horse and it works damn fine," he said with a little pride in his voice. "Now let me show you what else she can do before you ride off again."

Norrington smiled gratefully and listened attentively as Bob began his lessons. Meanwhile the others settled down on a patch of grass and enjoyed the sunshine as well as the fruit Robina came out with for them. Soon though they joined Norrington in racing, shooting practice from horseback and various other things, like sidestepping and changing the horses gait to hide their numbers or that a rider had left his horse's back.

And through it all Norrington was soaking up the lessons like a sponge. Never had he felt as happy or free as he did now and he wished this day could last forever.


	2. Chapter 2

The shadows were growing long by the time Bob declared he had taught all the commands to Norrington and the Rangers once again stabled their horses and rubbed them down. Norrington also took the time to go back to Arrow and rub him while saying goodbye. He had the feeling that he wouldn't be seeing him again and it filled him with a little melancholy; he already adored Maple, but Arrow had been his for nine years and parting with him wasn't easy. At least he'll be in good hands here, he thought.

"You be a good horse now and show Bob what you can do," Norrington said softly, rubbing him behind the ear. "He'll take good care of you."

Arrow whinnied softly and butted his head against his showing his affection.

Norrington took a deep breath, rubbed Arrow one last time, and then turned away. The others had already left the stable giving him space to say goodbye and he was grateful to them for it. Now he was ready to join them and go on to his new home with his new horse.

The others had gone back inside the house were Robina was busy getting dinner ready; Bob had offered them to stay instead of them going a few kilometres and then stopping for food. He saw Crowley helping with cutting vegetables and Egon setting the table.

"Where's Halt?" Norrington asked.

"Oh, he'll be in in a few moments," Crowley said casually. "Just seeing to his horse."

Norrington nodded although he felt sure Halt had also left the stable like the others. But of course, he was a Ranger and Rangers were infamous for being good at being unseen. "Um, do you need help with anything?" he politely asked Robina, but she just shook her head.

"No. I've already got one Ranger in the kitchen, I don't need a second; it's not large enough for that. You sit down and relax a bit."

Norrington nodded and did as told. A few moments later Halt returned just as Crowley was finishing up his cutting.

"Ah, Halt. Perfect timing; the food is almost ready. You can take the bowl to the table," Crowley said lightly. In truth he was deliberately distracting the others from asking questions about where Halt had been and what he had been doing, knowing that Halt probably wouldn't be in the mood for questions.

Halt snorted. "You could just as easily do it yourself," he said while accepting the bowl and putting it on the table. He was grateful for Crowley's light distraction as he didn't feel like talking about what he had been doing.

"Yeah, well, no reason for you to be lazy," Crowley shot back.

Norrington suddenly felt like he was not contributing anything to the dinner and wondered if he should get up and help. He just didn't know with what. "Do we need anyone to bring in water?" he tried.

Robina shook her head. "Bob's getting it. Everything will be ready in a few minutes."

Crowley washed off his hands and he and Halt both joined Norrington and Egon at the table where they waited for the food. They talked lightly about the day and Maple without going into any serious conversation, none of them in the mood for it. The twins also provided a lot of distraction as they excitedly joined the conversation about how fun it had looked when Maple threw Norrington into the air. By now Norrington found he could even smile a bit about it himself; it probably had looked fun when you weren't the one on the bucking horse.

Thanks to the twins dinner became a rather noisy affair and Egon even ended up entertaining them by balancing his fork on his nose, a skill none of the others had known he possessed.

Crowley clapped lightly. "Impressive. I didn't know you could do that."

Egon smiled. "I have many hidden capabilities, not all of which I share with just anyone."

"I was mostly worried the fork would lose its balance and hit you in the eye," Norrington confessed.

"You should try it with a knife then," Egon said grinning.

"I don't think that sounds any safer."

That caused a roar of laughter around the table.

"Norrington, we are Rangers; staying 'safe' is not exactly our greatest concern. Only the safety of the Kingdom." Crowley smiled slightly. "Although we do try to avoid doing overly stupid things that might get us killed."

"A wise choice," Bob interjected. "Otherwise you might endanger my horses, too."

"_Our_ horses, Bob," Halt said. "They work with us."

"If you say so." He just smiled and the others were pretty sure that as far as Bob was concerned the horses stayed his no matter how long a Ranger had it.

Finally Crowley shook his head as if to wake himself. "Well, thanks for the dinner; it's been lovely, but I think it's time we let you have some peace and quiet."

"You're most welcome," Robina said with a smile.

The others also expressed their thanks as they stood up and placed their plates and cutlery in a stack in the kitchen. Norrington quickly copied them, not wanting to seem rude. There were so many little things he had yet to learn. Then they retreated to the outside where they set up camp a little way from the house. They would leave with first light, but for tonight they could still enjoy each others company.

Norrington soon found himself completely relaxed and smiling slightly as he listened to the conversation around him and the light banter Crowley and Halt seemed able to keep up at any time no matter what they were doing.

"Hey, anyone want coffee before bed?"

"Of course. When wouldn't I want coffee? Not to mention yourself."

"I _can_ go without coffee, y'know, unlike certain other Rangers."

Halt snorted. "Yeah, right. I've seen what you're like when you don't get your coffee in the morning."

"But this is not the morning; it's evening," Crowley said triumphantly.

"Same difference," Halt replied shrugging as he finished raising his one man tent.

"Besides as I recall it was _you_ how were so foul tempered, because of lack of coffee that you nearly shot Brennan."

Halt gave Crowley a derisive look. "I didn't nearly shoot Brennan; I don't miss. Besides it wasn't the lack of coffee that put me in a foul mood; it was the lack of skill."

"Fair point," Crowley said after a moments consideration. "But I still maintain that the lack of coffee will make you more grumpy than otherwise."

Halt snorted derisively. "As if you are any better."

"Let's just get the fire built so we can get the coffee pot on," Egon broke in before they could continue their argument about who had the greatest need of coffee.

"I'll build the fire," Crowley said.

"I'll get the water," Halt said grabbing the bucket and heading off to fetch the water.

"And I'll get myself comfortable," Egon said with a smile. He sat down with a satisfied sigh next to where Crowley was building the fire.

Crowley raised an eyebrow at him. "No help in getting firewood?"

Egon waved the comment away. "I'm a senior Ranger; that's a job for a junior Ranger or apprentice."

They both smiled as they turned their heads and looked at Norrington.

Norrington sighed dramatically. "Yeah, yeah, I get it; that's me. I'll get some extra sticks for the fire." But as soon as he had turned away from them he smiled, too. He might not have been part of their group for more than two weeks, but they treated him as one of them and he loved it even when they teased him. After all, they were never mean spirited about it and it showed they took him seriously as a Ranger. He would have been more worried if they had ignored him and given him no tasks doing everything themselves, because it would have shown a lack of trust in his abilities to do anything right.

By the time Norrington returned Crowley had a small fire going and Halt was back with the water. He deposited the bundle of sticks in easy reach for the people sitting around the fire and plopped down next to it himself on the free spot.

He enjoyed the easy camaraderie as the coffee got ready and either Crowley or Halt had produced a small pot and some mushrooms, which Halt was now frying with great care.

"Looks great, Halt."

Halt shrugged. "They're easy to make. Just find the right mushrooms, clean them, cut them up and use enough butter, and you'd have to be a complete food fop to get it wrong."

"I don't think I'm a complete food fop," Norrington said frowning.

"Hopefully not, 'cause you'll have to cook for yourself as a Ranger. We don't rely on others to make our food," Crowley said.

Egon nodded his agreement. "I think a lot of people underestimate the importance of knowing how to cook for yourself, but it's actually pretty important when you're a Ranger. We are usually on our own and have to be able to take care of ourselves. We can't go around looking for the next inn or restaurant to feed us," he said to Norrington.

Norrington nodded his understanding. "I know I'm not an expert, but so far it's gone all right."

"Yeah, well, maybe you can get a few pointers from Egon on that, too." Crowley smiled at him. Then he smelled the coffee pot and removed it from the side of the fire. "I think the coffee is ready."

"Finally," Halt grumbled.

Crowley give him a sideways look. "I thought you weren't foul tempered when you didn't get coffee?"

"I'm not being foul tempered; I just want something to drink."

"We've got water," Crowley pointed out.

Egon rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. Don't start that one again. At least not while me and Norrington are still here."

Crowley grinned at him. "Sorry. Coffee, Egon?"

In a moment they all had coffee in their cups and Halt and Crowley added in spoonfuls of honey. Norrington looked at them curiously. He'd seen them do it plenty of times, but it seemed they were the only Rangers to do so.

"So, why do you add honey to your coffee, when no one else does?" he asked.

"Because the rest don't know what they are missing," came Halt's reply.

Egon shook his head. "The coffee is fine as it is. No need to put honey into it."

Crowley shrugged. "It's a matter of taste, really. You can try both and see what you prefer. Heck, Leander even puts milk in his coffee."

The other two shook their heads.

"And _that's_ just plain weird. What flavour does milk add?" Halt said.

"No weirder than you putting in honey, Halt," Egon told him.

Halt shrugged.

"Anyway, we have different tastes so you can try out the different ways to drink coffee and decide for yourself," Crowley finished.

Norrington nodded. "I think I will. Pass me the honey."

Crowley grinned as he passed the honey pot to Norrington. He and Halt were definitely in the minority in the Corps so he wouldn't mind converting another Ranger to their ways.

Norrington looked at the honey for a moment considering, then added in a small spoonful. He had seen Crowley and Halt both used more, but he wasn't sure of this, so he didn't want to overdo it. He stirred his coffee thoroughly and took a sip.

"Wow. This is rather sweet."

"Yep," Crowley grinned.

"That's the beauty of it," Halt added. "And the mushrooms are done." He quickly scooped them out of the pot and onto a plate, let them cool for a moment before he took one himself and then passed the plate on to Crowley.

Norrington blew on the still hot piece of mushroom before plopping it into his mouth. Halt was right, he thought. This is good and looks easy to make. I'll have to try it myself.

They kept passing the mushrooms around as they drank their coffee and talked lightly about whatever they thought of, and soon the small fire was nothing but embers and the plate empty. They bid each other goodnight and Norrington smiled to himself as he settled into his tent. If only every day could be like this. Then life would be perfect. With that thought in mind he soon feel asleep.

§

The next morning dawned with a low ground mist clinging to everything, but the sun was coming up soon and in an hour or two the mist would be gone. It looked to be another fine day for riding. The thought made Norrington a bit nostalgic knowing that he and Egon would part ways with Halt and Crowley today, but at the same time he was excited to get to his fief and get to work.

Over breakfast and packing up Crowley and Halt both started giving him advice on how to handle the baron, the garrison, and the locals, and what things he should be mindful of with things such as 'oh, be polite, but remember to stand your ground; too many barons will try to get you under their influence. Insisting on living alone is the first step to remaining independent' or 'the locals are usually a bit scared of us and think we can use magic. Don't disabuse them of that notion; it can be useful.' Norrington listened carefully and asked return questions when he could. All too soon they were all packed and getting the horses saddled again. Young Bob had come out to say goodbye and see them off and he greeted them with a cheerful 'Good morning!'.

"Morning, Bob," Crowley said. "Come to see off the horses?"

"Of course," Bob replied. "I never know when I might see them next."

Crowley laughed and the others smiled, too.

"I'm hurt you're not here to see _us_ off," Norrington said.

Bob looked at him. "You're a Ranger, so you're not my responsibility. You're his," he said pointing at Crowley, who rolled his eyes. Bob went over and scratched Maple behind the ears. "You take good care of her now."

Norrington nodded. "I will. She's a great horse."

Maple shook her head and blew air out her nose. _That I am_, she seemed to say.

Norrington glanced at her, pretty sure no one else picked up on that, then glanced at Bob, who was still smiling at him, a sort of secretive smile, that left him wondering if Bob heard her, too. For a moment he was going to ask him, then thought better of it and instead focused on getting done and ready to leave. Bob scratched her one more time, then left Norrington to it, as he went around and said his goodbyes to the other Ranger horses speaking shortly to each of them.

"All ready, Norrington?" Crowley called. He had Cropper's reins in his hand and everything secured on his back.

Norrington nodded. "Yes, I'm ready to leave." He took Maple's reins to lead her out of the stables, but glanced shortly at Arrow before turning around completely. He would miss him, he knew, but he also knew he would be just fine here. And he had a feeling that Maple would soon make him forget about Arrow.

_Not forget, just accept the change._ She whinnied softly and brushed her head against his arm.

Norrington gave her a little smile then followed Crowley and the others out of the stable.

"Well, no reason to hang around; let's get going," Crowley said from the saddle, and Norrington hurried to swing himself up as well.

The twins came around out of the house, laughing, and waved goodbyes to the Rangers.

"Goodbye, Rangers!"

"Have fun!"

The four Rangers waved back with varying decrees of enthusiasm, Crowley adding a 'see you', before they set off at a canter down the road.

For a while they all rode in silence, each with his own thoughts, and Norrington was surprised when it was Halt that broke it.

"Don't ever doubt yourself, Norrington. And if you do, then don't ever let it show," he said gravely.

Norrington looked at him in surprise. He wasn't sure where this was coming from.

Halt continued. "If people see your doubt they will exploit it," he explained. "You have questions ask them of Egon, but be firm and confident around everyone else. That's important."

Crowley and Egon nodded their agreement.

"Halt's right; showing doubt or uncertainty is probably one of the worst things you can do. Yes, you'll make mistakes, and yes, some of them will probably be pretty bad, but as long as you learn from them and don't get yourself or others killed during the process, then they still won't be as bad as showing doubt to people, who might exploit it and try to undermine the Corps through it. So be firm." Crowley looked at him squarely. "That's probably the most important lesson we can give you."

"Halt and Crowley are right; you have been out on your own before, but never had the training, so it will be far too easy to fall back into old patterns and habits. Be mindful of it and make sure what you do and how you act fits the situation and your status as a Ranger. Don't let others push you around."

"Does that include you?" Norrington said, finally finding a good comeback to their comments.

The ghost of a smile seemed to touch Halt's face. "Yes. Even us."

"At least to some degree," Crowley added.

Norrington laughed. "I'll remember that." Then he grew more serious. "And I'll remember your advice; I won't let anybody push me around." He thought of times when he had probably been a bit too lenient and agreeable to the baron and his people in the past in his old fief. Too many times probably. It was good to have a fresh start in a new fief, he thought.

Halt and Crowley spent the rest of the ride giving Norrington all sorts of advices with Egon adding in comments every now and then as he saw fit, and all too soon they came upon the fork in the road that meant they would split up and ride in each their direction. Halt and Crowley would ride north, Egon and Norrington would ride south. They all stopped their horses in silent mutual agreement.

"Well... I guess this is it. You two take care of yourselves and each others." Crowley looked from Egon to Norrington and back again.

"Don't worry, Crowley; we will," Egon assured him with a smile.

"Yes, I'll keep an eye on Egon," Norrington said with a straight face. Both Crowley and Egon laughed. Then Egon smiled a little sadly. "You two take care as well; I count on seeing you both at the next Gathering."

"Of course," Halt replied. "Don't worry about us; we'll be fine."

And they probably would Norrington realised. They were the best, after all, while he was the one, who didn't have the proper training. As if he could read his mind Crowley spoke up again.

"Norrington, do take care. I know we like to joke, but it's a dangerous life being a Ranger and you don't have as much training as the rest of us. Keep your head cool and avoid panicking in a tight situation; every Ranger can get into a tight spot, but our training is usually enough to help us out of it again mostly unscratched. You'll need Egon's tuition and you'll have to learn on your own most of the time." Crowley leaned forward in his saddle and looked eyes with Norrington. "If you ever feel you have been thrown into too deep waters, then don't hesitate to call for help. Egon is close, but you can also call on me, if you need. No one expects you to be perfect at everything yet, but hopefully you'll get there in a few years. Just keep yourself alive and keep practising in the meantime."

Norrington nodded seriously. "I understand, Crowley. I will make sure to take care."

"Good," Crowley said leaning back. "Then we had better say our goodbyes and get on our way." He nodded at Egon. "See you next year."

Egon nodded back. "And by then you'd better have my golden oakleaf ready, Crowley."

Crowley feigned shock. "Golden? No, no; you're far too young for that. Come back to me in a few years; then we can talk about it."

Egon chuckled and raised his hand to Halt. "See you, Halt."

Halt nodded back. "Take care, Egon. You're still one of the best."

Egon smiled, quite touched by Halt's words. He knew Halt didn't thrown empty compliments around and meant every word.

Halt switched his gaze to Norrington. "And keep shooting every day. But stop using the first arrow as a sighting arrow; that could mean your life one day if you don't break that habit once and for all."

Norrington nodded. "I will. I promise I will not shoot at the same target twice in a row," he said referring to the many hours of practice he had had with Halt where Halt had forbidden just that practice.

"Good. Then there's hope for you. Best of luck, Norrington."

"Stay sharp, Halt. See you next year."

They all had a moment of nodding and looking at one another, then Halt and Crowley turned their horses around without a word and started cantering north.

Egon followed suit and started going south. "You coming?" He called at Norrington, who had been casting one last look at the receding figures.

Norrington shook himself out of the sudden melancholy at seeing them riding away and turned Maple around to follow Egon. "I'm coming."

Yes, he might miss having all the other Rangers around, but he was going to his new fief and he would still have Egon's company. All in all, life was pretty good, and by the time he saw Halt and Crowley again next year it would hopefully be as a true Ranger.

He smiled as he set Maple into a short gallop to catch up and wondered how he had ever lived without her. From now on it would be the two of them against all troublemakers.

_And they'd better watch out; I'll make sure no one kills you on my watch._

He chuckled and whispered into her ear. "And I'll make sure no one touches you. We're a team now, you and I."

_Now and forever._

He smiled as he settled in next to Egon and they rode on in companionable silence.


End file.
